Clinton allies react to Comey firing: ‘This terrifies me’

Gabby Kaufman
·Reporter

Hillary Clinton’s allies and former aides dismissed President Trump’s explanation for the firing of FBI Director James Comey Tuesday, even as they maintained their frustration with how Comey handled the investigation into Clinton’s private email server during the campaign.

Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., Clinton’s running mate, called Trump’s letter informing Comey of his termination “really unusual” in a Wednesday appearance on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe.”

“The letter that President Trump wrote had a tell in it like a bad poker player whose facial expression tells you what they’re worried about,” Kaine said. “When he says this in this quick letter, ‘We’re letting you go, but thanks for telling me three times that I wasn’t the subject of an investigation about my Russian ties,’ that shows a deeply insecure president who is very, very concerned about this investigation and that’s the reason that Jim Comey got fired.”

In firing Comey Tuesday, Trump cited the recommendation of Attorney General Jeff Sessions and his deputy, Rod Rosenstein. A memo written by Rosenstein strongly criticized Comey’s conduct throughout the investigation into Clinton’s private email server. However, Comey confirmed in March that the bureau was actively investigating possible ties between Trump associates and the Kremlin, and there was immediate speculation that he was dismissed to impede that investigation.

After the news of Comey’s firing broke Tuesday, several former Clinton campaign staffers took to Twitter to criticize the move. Perhaps unsurprisingly, several expressed doubt about Trump’s assertion Comey was fired because of his treatment of Clinton.

John Podesta, the former Clinton campaign chairman, referenced the “Saturday night massacre,” in which President Nixon had the special prosecutor investigating Watergate fired and accepted the resignations of the attorney general and his deputy in the process.

Former Clinton campaign manager Robby Mook implored Congress to call for a special prosecutor.

Brian Fallon, Clinton’s press secretary during the campaign, said Comey’s firing signaled a “descent into authoritarianism.”

Clinton herself has so far stayed mum on Comey’s firing, but as recently as last week she cited him as one of the reasons she lost the presidential election. On October 28, just days before the election, Comey sent a letter to Congress saying the FBI was reopening its investigation into Clinton’s use of a private email server.

“If the election had been on October 27, I would be your president,” Clinton said last week at an event in New York.

The Comey Firing Letters

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